1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of battery back-up power sources for electronic equipment and, more specifically, to a modular housing for holding batteries and a battery charger which function as a battery power source.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Many types of electronic equipment are powered by batteries to achieve desired functionality. In smaller equipment, such as laptop computers, it is often desirable to use a battery power source for portability. Larger equipment, such as a "minicomputer" or mainframe computer, may rely on a battery power source as a back-up which is switched on-line during a failure in the primary source of supply (i.e., the local electric utility). Such "uninterruptable" power sources are thus intended to maintain a continuous supply of power in order to prevent or reduce down time of costly, critical equipment and also prevent loss of data during interruptions of utility supplied power.
However, conventional battery power sources, particularly those designed to power larger systems, often exhibit one or more of the following disadvantages. First, conventional battery sources are generally not based on a modular architecture, are often difficult to install or replace and cannot be readily interconnected to meet the power requirements of different types of equipment. Further, great difficulty and inconvenience are often encountered when attempting to install or replace individual batteries.
Second, the physical size of the battery power source is often an important consideration in many applications and conventional sources are typically large and bulky. Thus, such conventional sources may be unusable in applications having stringent space or form factor constraints.
Third, safety considerations are of paramount importance in terms of protecting personnel from injury and protecting the power source from damage, yet many conventional power sources do not adequately guard against these risks. Obviously, there is an electrical shock and energy hazard presented by any battery power source, particularly those powering larger loads which may operate at several hundred volts. Moreover, 12V batteries connected in series to produce 96V tend to be quite heavy due to their internal construction. Conventional battery power sources may not provide sufficient load-bearing capacity to combine several such batteries into a single compact package.
Lastly, many conventional battery power sources require a battery charger that is manufactured or supplied as a separate assembly which must be electrically connected with the power source. Separate chargers often represent an increased safety risk due to exposed cables needed for interconnection.